Bed sores and pressure ulcers, 99% of the time, are indicative of nursing home abuse. Usually, bed sores are classified as a Stage I, Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV, but many of our clients do not know what the difference is between these. This blog post, and the following three in this series, are aimed at informing nursing home abuse victims, and their families, about their injuries and what they can do about it.
Bed Sore Stage Classifications – Stage I
Stage I bed sores represent the first stage of bed sores, and should serve as a warning sign to medical professionals and family members. Patients with Stage I bed sores typically exhibit the following symptoms:
- a warming or cooling in skin temperature,
- changes in tissue consistency (firm or boggy feeling),
- pain,
- itching, and
- persistent red, blue, or purple hues.
Typically, bed sores lawyers are not involved with Stage I bed sores because they can be treated by medical professionals, thereby eliminating a serious health risk to the patient. But, as experienced bed sores lawyers, we can tell you, from first hand experience, that monitoring your loved one’s health is very important. Bed sores progress very rapidly, and when they are discovered, they need to be treated immediately.
Preventing Bed Sores
Bed sores typically are caused by pressure on the skin at bony areas of the body. Continuous pressure and friction are dangerous to people with the following risk factors:
- over 65,
- incontinence,
- malnutrition,
- dehydration,
- lack of movement,
- numbness,
- smoking, and
- previous pressure ulcers.
For bed ridden patients, skin should be kept clean, dry, and moisturized. Furthermore, their position should be changed regularly, and special equipment and pads should be used to protect skin over bony areas. The best medicine for bed sores is prevention, and the number one tool for prevention is attentiveness. It is important to be attentive to a patient’s needs. If a patient is ignored or neglected, deadly bed sores can quickly develop.
Bed Sores Lawyers in New Jersey
Later posts will demonstrate how a Stage I pressure ulcer can quickly develop into a more serious problem. If you or your family member has developed bed sores while in a nursing home or assisted living facility, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free consultation and case evaluation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. You deserve compensation and the Mininno Law Office can get it for you.
Wilson strongly argued that these medical malpractice caps are blatantly favoring a special class of society over the general public. This special class includes medical professionals, corporations, insurance companies, and special interests groups. Malpractice victims may suffer many non-economic damages that will no longer be fully compensated for in states such as West Virginia. Someone who is permanently disfigured, maimed, or handicapped will certainty be owed compensation that exceeds mere medical expenses and future costs. An avid golfer or swimmer who can no longer enjoy these activities, a young child who will never walk or talk, or a woman who can never bear a child are only some of the instances where non-economic damages that exceed a cap may be necessary. Medical malpractice attorneys also have fears that were pointed out by Judge Wilson. He stated, 
A recent 
Lawyers say that Ms. Burke underwent an abdominal hysterectomy on March 22, 2005. The medical negligence occurred when a pre-operative nurse left a cleaning sponge inside the woman’s vagina which was not noticed during the procedure. They say that Burke had raised her concerns to her physician over the next two months and she went in for medical assistance no less than six times. In the months following the procedure, the woman was in significant pain and she experienced a discolored vaginal discharge. Medical malpractice attorneys also say that her vagina had an offensive odor which Ms. Burke describes as “so embarrassing“. Finally, on May 23, 2005, her doctor elected to perform a vaginal exam where he discovered the sponge. Proffesionals note that a second surgery was necessary to fix the problem and following the surgery, Burke remained weak and in pain.
Our birth defects attorneys believe that the 
Dr. Anthony Pickett, who was dismissed as a defendant, performed the circumcision on January 3, 2003 at Maternity Center of Vermont. The doctor was using a Militex Mogen clamp which removed eighty five percent of the top of the boy’s penis. The young boy’s medical malpractice attorneys said, “because of the defective design of the circumcision clamp, there was no protection for the head of the penis and Dr. Pickett was unable to visualize the head when excising the foreskin.” The lawyers working the case earned the plaintiffs $3.07 million in the settlement after fees and costs were deducted. Although the boy needs to regularly visit a physician and may need additional surgery in the future, they believe this is a great victory for the boy and a way to secure his financial future. Although medical malpractice statutes appeared as though they may limit the available recovery in this case, the lawyers were able to earn a just result for the young boy.
In August of 2002, Bruscato smashed his mother, Lillian Lynn, in the head with a battery charger and then stabbed her 72 times which resulted in her death. He was charged with murder but due to his psychological state, he was found to be incompetent to stand trial and he was committed to a mental institution. His father, Vito, then sued the doctor for medical malpractice because he believes that his son never should have been taken off of the medication. A judge at the trial court level ruled in favor of the psychiatrist but a divided state Court of Appeals elected to overturn that decision and allowed the case to proceed to trial.